As the battle over the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) goes through the courts, local opponents are not sitting idly by, but calling on the next step in the campaign - a recall of provincial politicians.
Recall campaign organizers have targetted 24 MLAs who did not fight the HST, and although West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Joan McIntyre is not on the hit list, some of the 7,013 members of her riding who signed the anti-HST petition - over 15 per cent of the electorate -wish she were.
The anti-HST campaign manager for McIntyre's riding, Horseshoe Bay resident Kelly Carson, was put off by the MLA's lack of communication on the subject, and would like to see her on the "cutting block."
"Joan McIntyre didn't get a hold of any of us while we were doing the petitioning. I never heard a word from her so I was disappointed she's not on the recall list," said Carson.
A strongly-worded letter sent to McIntyre and copied to The Chief this week also chastised the MLA for her silence.
"I have sent you several emails regarding the HST and not received one reply from you. Why can you not reply?" wrote Squamish resident Gord Gunner.
"Because of you not supporting the wishes of the people in your riding, I will do whatever I can do to help with in regards to recalling you.
"You want to stay in Victoria? Then axe the HST and now."
McIntyre refuted the assertions this week, saying she has responded to an untold number of inquiries from her constituents over the past year, but some comments don't warrant responses.
"When people have written to me with questions and concerns that I could answer, I have been corresponding largely by telephone," she said.
"There are obviously a group of people who write to me in anger and frustration and some of those emails don't require a response. People are just venting, let's say.
"Those who are writing to say they can hardly wait to recall me I just respect their opinion but it doesn't always necessarily dictate a response."
McIntyre said she believes the entire anti-HST process has been "an excellent exercise in democracy," but it has not swayed her support for the tax.
"I voted for the HST," she said. "I think that the tax policy is correct and will be for the overall benefit of the province, being able to kick start particularly the resource industries like forestry that's been on its knees for the last number of years."
Despite her own MLA's absence from the recall list, Carson said her group will be as involved as possible in the recall process - even if that means going to other ridings.
"I'll join in there somehow whether I'll stay the regional organizer, which I probably will because I'm not a quitter," said Carson. "The volunteers aren't going to sit and wait until the recall goes into their area, we're going to take 7,000 volunteers and go to where we're needed."
She said the 24 MLAs listed weren't enough.
"I would like to bump any Liberal MLA up to the recall list that supported the HST and the way Gordon Campbell took it upon himself to put it upon us," she said. "Any MLA who supported that, as far as I'm concerned, should be recalled."
One popular recall choice is Saanich North and the Island's cabinet minister Murray Coell, who only won by 250 votes in the last election. His constituents put Saanich in the top 10 in the signature count on the anti-HST petition.
Cariboo-Chilcotin liberal Donna Barrett is also a prime candidate, having won by just 88 votes. Her riding leads the province in signatures.
Others MLAs on the recall list include Boundary-Similkameen MLA John Slater, Vernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster and Burnaby North MLA Richard Lee.
The recall process is a provincial law that allows members of the legislature to be ousted by another round of petitioning, either singularly or in groups, 18 months after an election.
They need to gather 40 per cent of the names on the voter's list to succeed, much more than the 10 per cent needed for the initial petition. They also have a third less time to accomplish the task - 60 days versus the 90 for the original drive.
Despite the obstacles, residents appear steadfast. Carson said she is still receiving several emails per week, and they have only intensified.
"They keep asking 'What's going on now, what's the next step?'" she said. "People are, I think, even more upset."
